Jump to content

英文维基 | 中文维基 | 日文维基 | 草榴社区

Yo-kai Watch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Yokai Watch)

Yo-kai Watch
Logo of the series, with the word "YO-KAI" written in a yellow font and the O made to resemble the eponymous device, with a multicolored face and white hands; and the word "WATCH" in a red font, with the C being stylized. The words are surrounded by a tapering black wisp.
Created byAkihiro Hino
Original workYo-kai Watch (2013)[a]
OwnerLevel-5
Years2013–present
Print publications
ComicsManga series (2012–2023)
Films and television
Film(s)
Animated seriesYo-kai Watch (2014–2018) (List of episodes)
Yo-kai Watch Shadowside (2018–2019)
Yo-kai Watch! (2019)
Yo-kai Watch Jam - Yo-kai Academy Y: Close Encounters of the N Kind (2019–2021)
Yo-kai Watch ♪ (2021–2023)
Games
Video game(s)Video games
Miscellaneous
Toy(s)Merchandise
Official website
Official website

Yo-kai Watch[b][c] is a Japanese media franchise created and developed by Level-5. The franchise's main work is the role-playing video game series of the same name, the first of which was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013.[1] Three main sequels and several spinoffs, on both Nintendo and mobile platforms, have been released. In December 2019, the franchise expanded to PlayStation with the release of Yo-kai Watch 4++. An associated toy line is produced by Bandai for the Japanese market, while Hasbro formerly sold the toys under license in the Americas and Europe.

Six manga adaptations have also been produced; one, a series that began serialization in Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic from December 2012 to December 2022,[2] was an award winner. An anime television series produced by OLM, Inc. aired in Japan from January 8, 2014, to March 30, 2018, and was a ratings success, boosting the franchise in popularity,[3] and began airing in North America from September 2015.[4][5] An animated film, Yo-kai Watch: The Movie, was released on December 20, 2014, with seven more films being produced since then. As of 2022, the game series has sold over 17 million copies worldwide.[6]

While the franchise is popular in Japan and Europe, it failed to meet Level-5's expectations in North America. Nonetheless, the franchise's North American launch was successful, with the original 3DS game selling 400,000 units, backed by the toys and the broadcast of the English dub on Disney XD in the United States. However, interest in the Yo-kai Watch franchise has since steadily declined. The franchise generated $2 billion in retail sales.[7]

Concept

[edit]

The franchise was first conceived as a Doraemon IP, something that could last over a long period of time. Akihiro Hino, CEO of Level-5, researched extensively what makes a franchise long-lasting, and came up with Yo-kai Watch.[8]

Yo-kai Watch revolves around befriending Yo-kai that are haunting the city, which are based on traditional yōkai, but often with clever twists. If one befriends a Yo-kai, they get their Yo-kai Medal, an object that allows one to summon Yo-kai. With these, they can summon Yo-kai to either fight other Yo-kai, befriend others, or solve everyday tasks.[9]

The basic plot of most media is that the main character, either Nathan "Nate" Adams or Katie Forester, obtains a Yo-kai Watch through Whisper, a butler Yo-kai. They then befriend Jibanyan, a cat Yo-kai who haunts an intersection because he thinks his owner from when he was alive named Amy called him lame for getting hit by a truck. During the anime's run, other Yo-kai were introduced.

Media

[edit]

Main series

[edit]
Release timeline
2013Yo-kai Watch
Yo-kai Taiso Dai-Ichi Puzzle da Nyan
2014Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits & Fleshy Souls
Yo-kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters
Yo-kai Watch: Tomodachi UkiUkipedia
2015Yo-kai Watch Blasters
Yo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version
Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble
Yo-kai Watch Busters: Iron Oni Force
2016Yo-kai Sangokushi
Yo-kai Watch 3: Sushi & Tempura
Yo-kai Watch 3: Sukiyaki
2017Yo-kai Watch Busters 2
2018Yo-kai Sangokushi: Kunitori Wars
Yo-kai Watch: Gerapo Rhythm
Yo-kai Daijiten
Yo-kai Watch World
2019Yo-kai Watch 4
Yo-kai Watch: Medal Wars
2020Yo-kai Watch Jam: Yo-kai Academy Y

The main video game series are role-playing video games where the player befriends Yo-kai and fights evil Yo-kai that seek to rule the world, with emphasis placed on fighting and befriending Yo-kai. Yo-kai Watch and Yo-kai Watch 2 have a battle system revolving around using the 3DS's touchscreen to rotate amongst the player's Yo-kai. All Yo-kai have powerful moves called Soultimates, with some being offensive and some being supportive.[10] In Yo-kai Watch 3, the battle system was changed to a grid-based movement system, with the added ability to use the Dream Link and the Yo-kai Blaster against foes during battle.

Yo-kai Watch

[edit]

The first game in the main series, Yo-kai Watch, was announced at the 2011 Tokyo Game Show[11][12] and first released in Japan on July 11, 2013.[13] It sets the foundation for the rest of the video game franchise, introducing its main mechanics. The game was released in North America on November 6, 2015, and in Europe on April 29, 2016.

Yo-kai Watch 2

[edit]

The second main game in the series, Yo-kai Watch 2, was released in Japan on July 10, 2014, as two versions: Ganso and Honke.[14][15][16] These versions are known in English as Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls. Yo-kai Watch 2 adds several new areas, such as Kemamoto/Harrisville, and nearly 100 new Yo-kai to befriend, both in the present day and the past. The plot revolves around the protagonist going back in time 60 years to meet their grandfather, who made the predecessor to the Yo-kai Watch, and fighting against the Wicked Yo-kai. A third version, Shinuchi, known in English as Psychic Specters, was released on December 12, 2014[17] to coincide with the first Yo-kai Watch film, Yo-kai Watch: Tanjō no Himitsu da Nyan!. Psychic Specters features characters and scenarios not included in Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls.[18][19]

Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls were localized in English and released on September 30, 2016, in the United States [20] and on April 7, 2017, in Europe.[21] They received the Oni Evolution update on September 14, 2017,[22] and gained compatibility with save data from Psychic Specters on September 29, 2017.[23]

Yo-kai Watch 3

[edit]

In Japan, Yo-kai Watch 3 was announced alongside Yo-kai Watch Busters in April 2015 and released on July 16, 2016, with two versions: Sushi and Tempura. The game features two protagonists: Nate Adams and Hailey Anne Thomas, each with their own story. Nate's story focuses on him and his family moving from Springdale to the United States, which is called BBQ in the localized version, to the fictional town of St. Peanutsburg, where new American-themed "Merican" (メリケン) Yo-kai are found. Hailey Anne's story focuses on her meeting her partner Yo-kai Usapyon and opening a detective agency with him.[24][25] These two stories converge in the game's latter half as the two team up to face a greater threat called the Ghoulfather. A third version, Sukiyaki, was released in Japan on December 16, 2016, combining Sushi and Tempura into one game and adding additional features.[26]

On September 27, 2018, Nintendo of America announced that Yo-kai Watch 3 was getting a localized release outside of Japan. It was released on December 16, 2018, in Europe and on February 8, 2019, in North America. The localized version was based on Sukiyaki, and as such contains the features it added.


Yo-kai Watch 4

[edit]

Yo-kai Watch 4 was released for the Nintendo Switch in Japan on June 20, 2019, featuring a new artstyle and character designs from Yo-kai Watch Shadowside,[27] as well as the original designs. The game includes characters from previous games as well as the main characters from Yo-kai Watch Shadowside and Yo-kai Watch: Forever Friends.

An enhanced version, Yo-kai Watch 4++, was later released as paid downloadable content and at retail for both the Switch and PlayStation 4 on December 5, 2019.[28]

Level-5 confirmed during the Anime Expo 2019 that an English localization was under consideration, but due to the shutdown of American branch Level-5 Abby,[29] the status of the game's localization is currently unknown.

Other video games

[edit]

Blasters

[edit]

A spin-off game, Yo-kai Watch Blasters (妖怪ウォッチバスターズ, Yōkai Wotchi Basutāzu) was first announced in the April 2015 issue of CoroCoro Comic alongside Yo-kai Watch 3, allowing up to four players to cooperate in completing missions and battling boss Yo-kai.[30] The first two versions of the game, Aka Neko-dan (赤猫団, "Red Cat Troupe") and Shiro Inu-tai (白犬隊, "White Dog Corps"), were released on July 11, 2015. A free expansion called Getto-gumi (月兎組, "Moon Rabbit Crew") was released on December 12, 2015, adding characters and settings featured in the second film, Yo-kai Watch: Enma Daiō to Itsutsu no Monogatari da Nyan!.[31]

A sequel, Yo-kai Watch Busters 2: Secret of the Legendary Treasure Bambalaya (妖怪ウォッチバスターズ2秘宝伝説バンバラヤー, Yōkai Wotchi Basutāzu 2 Hihō Densetsu Banbarayā), was released in two versions, (ソード, "Sword") and (マグナム, "Magnum"), on December 16, 2017.[32] They are compatible with save data from the first Busters games as well as the three versions of Yo-kai Watch 3.[33]

The first game was localized in English regions as Yo-kai Watch Blasters and released on September 7, 2018.[34] The games were released under the names Red Cat Corps and White Dog Squad.[34] A free update for both games, Moon Rabbit Crew, was released on September 27, 2018.[35]

Busters 2 has not been localized into English, and most likely will never be because the Nintendo 3DS's production was discontinued.

Other associated games

[edit]

The Data Carddass game Yo-kai Watch: Tomodachi UkiUkipedia (妖怪ウォッチ ともだちウキウキペディア) was first location tested in late December 2013, and debuted at the Next Generation World Hobby Fair Winter 2014 before being released in early 2014. The game is similar to Bandai's other Data Carddass games, as the player uses an interface resembling a slot machine to determine the events of a battle between three of the player's Yo-kai and three enemy Yo-kai. Winning the game awards the player with a card that can be used in future Tomodachi UkiUkipedia play.

Yo-kai Sangokushi (妖怪三国志, lit. "Yo-kai Three Kingdoms") was announced alongside Busters and Yo-kai Watch 3 in April 2015. Sangokushi was made in collaboration with Koei Tecmo's Romance of the Three Kingdoms series as well as several mobile games.

In August 2015, a collaboration with Ubisoft to release a special version of the Just Dance series was announced, set to feature songs from the anime's soundtrack.[36] Titled Yo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version (妖怪ウォッチダンス JUST DANCE(ジャストダンス) スペシャルバージョン, Yōkai Uotchi Dansu: Jasuto Dansu Supesharu Bājon), it was released exclusively in Japan for the Wii U on December 5, 2015.

On June 27, 2018, Level-5 and GungHo Online Entertainment announced in a special live stream the release of Yo-kai Watch World. Before the same-day release of the game, Level-5 teased it online as a "game that will shock the world". Said to compete with Pokémon Go, it featured new gameplay mechanics as well as battle sequences similar to the original 3DS games. Currently, it is only able to work within Japan, as other locations do not mostly work outside of Japan. Service for Yo-kai Watch World was discontinued on December 23, 2022.

Console-based spin-offs

[edit]

Smartphone apps

[edit]
  • Yo-kai Land (iOS, Android, 2015) – Produced by Hasbro
  • Yo-kai Taiso Dai-Ichi Puzzle da Nyan (ようかい体操第一 パズルだニャン, Yōkai Taisō Dai-Ichi Pazuru da Nyan, lit. "Yo-kai Exercise No. 1: Puzzle Meow") (iOS, Android, 2013)
  • Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble (妖怪ウォッチ ぷにぷに, Yōkai Wotchi Puni-puni) (iOS, Android, 2015)
  • Yo-kai Watch: Gerapo Rhythm (妖怪ウォッチ ゲラポリズム, Yōkai Wotchi Gerapo Rizumu) (iOS, Android, 2018)
  • Yo-kai Daijiten (妖怪大辞典, lit. "Great Yo-kai Dictionary") (iOS, Android, 2018)
  • Yo-kai Sangokushi: Kunitori Wars (妖怪三国志 国盗りウォーズ, Yōkai Wocchi Kunitori Wōzu) (iOS, Android, 2018) – Co-produced with Koei Tecmo
  • Yo-kai Watch World (妖怪ウォッチワールド, Yōkai Wocchi Wārudo) (iOS, Android, June 27, 2018) – Co-produced by GungHo Online Entertainment inc., with a Google Maps-based engine
  • Yo-kai Watch: Medal Wars (妖怪ウォッチ メダルウォーズ, Yōkai Wocchi Medaru Wōzu) (iOS, Android, 2019) – Co-produced with Netmarble

Manga and comics

[edit]

Six manga adaptations based on the series have been published by Shogakukan. A series by Noriyuki Konishi began serialization in CoroCoro Comic from December 15, 2012. This series has been licensed by Viz Media under its Perfect Square imprint for its North American releases up to Volume 10, and is now directly from Viz Media as of Volume 11.[37] The manga is licensed in French by Kazé.

A shōjo manga series by Chikako Mori, titled Yo-kai Watch: Exciting Nyanderful Days (妖怪ウォッチ~わくわく☆にゃんだふるデイズ~, Yōkai Wotchi ~Wakuwaku Nyandafuru Deizu~), was serialized in Ciao magazine from December 27, 2013 to 2017.[38] In this series, it was based on the alternate timeline, in which Katie Forester would receive the Yo-kai Watch. This is in contrast to the main timeline, where Nate Adams is the primary.

A yonkoma series by Coconas Rumba, titled 4-Panel Yo-kai Watch: Geragera Manga Theater (4コマ妖怪ウォッチ ゲラゲラマンガ劇場, Yonkoma Yōkai Wotchi Geragera Manga Gekijō), has been serialized in CoroCoro Comic SPECIAL from August 30, 2014, to June 30, 2018.

Another yonkoma series by Santa Harukaze, titled Yo-kai Watch 4-Panel Pun Club (妖怪ウォッチ 4コマだじゃれクラブ, Yōkai Wotchi Yonkoma Dajare Kurabu), began serialization in CoroCoro Ichiban! from April 2015.

A series by Shō Shibamoto, titled Komasan 〜A Time for Fireworks and Miracles〜 (コマさん 〜ハナビとキセキの時間〜, Komasan 〜Hanabi to Kiseki no Jikan〜), began serialization in the seinen manga magazine Hibana on April 10, 2015, and ended on September 10 of that year.

A manga series based on Yo-kai Watch Blasters by Atsushi Ohba began serialization in CoroCoro Comic in June 2015[39] and ended in October of that year.

A comic book series was announced in January 2017, courtesy of IDW Publishing, and was released in May 2017.[40][41]

Noriyuki Konishi version

[edit]

Loosely based on the main Yo-kai Watch series, a manga series by Noriyuki Konishi started serialization before the release of Yo-kai Watch on the 3DS, and the debut of the original Yo-kai Watch anime. In the series, the art style was different from the current designs, like the early design of the Yo-kai Watch, and also has different character personalities. As the games and anime were released, the manga kept the art style, but the characters also slowly developed over time.

Volume 16 transitioned the manga into the current "Yo-kai Watch!" anime timeline, while still keeping the art style of the previous edition.

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 June 28, 2013978-4-09-141655-1November 3, 2015978-1-4215-8251-1
2 December 27, 2013978-4-09-140018-5November 3, 2015978-1-4215-8252-8
3 March 25, 2014978-4-09-141709-1January 5, 2016978-1-4215-8273-3
4 July 25, 2014978-4-09-141793-0March 1, 2016978-1-4215-8274-0
5 October 28, 2014978-4-09-141817-3May 3, 2016978-1-4215-8275-7
6 February 27, 2015978-4-09-141876-0December 6, 2016978-1-4215-9217-6
7 June 26, 2015978-4-09-142006-0March 7, 2017978-1-4215-9218-3
8 September 28, 2015978-4-09-142102-9January 2, 2018978-1-4215-9691-4
9 February 26, 2016978-4-09-142119-7July 3, 2018978-1-4215-9753-9
10 June 24, 2016978-4-09-142175-3January 8, 2019978-1-4215-9754-6
11 August 5, 2016978-4-09-159232-3May 14, 2019978-1-4215-9755-3
12 April 28, 2017978-4-09-142389-4September 12, 2019978-1-9747-0310-4
13 September 28, 2017978-4-09-142530-0January 14, 2020978-1-9747-0311-1
14 November 28, 2017978-4-09-142637-6May 12, 2020978-1-9747-0312-8
15 May 28, 2018978-4-09-142710-6September 8, 2020978-1-9747-0608-2
16 July 26, 2019978-4-09-143046-5January 12, 2021978-1-9747-1858-0
17 October 28, 2019978-4-09-143109-7May 11, 2021978-1-9747-1881-8
18 July 28, 2020978-4-09-143209-4September 14, 2021978-1-9747-1485-8
19 August 27, 2021978-4-09-143339-8August 9, 2022978-1-9747-3210-4
20 December 27, 2021978-4-09-143367-1January 10, 2023978-1-9747-3424-5
21 April 27, 2022978-4-09-143390-9May 9, 2023978-1-9747-3697-3
22 December 27, 2022978-4-09-143575-0
23 May 26, 2023978-4-09-143615-3

Yo-kai Watch: Exciting Nyanderful Days

[edit]
No. Release date ISBN
1 December 25, 2014978-4-09-136714-3
2 October 30, 2015978-4-09-137888-0
3 July 22, 2016978-4-09-138609-0

Yo-kai Watch: 4-Panel Pun-Club

[edit]
No. Release date ISBN
1 June 18, 2015978-4-09-281232-1
2 January 28, 2016978-4-09-281233-8
3 November 30, 2016978-4-09-281234-5
4 December 6, 2017978-4-09-281237-6

Yo-kai Watch Busters

[edit]
No. Release date ISBN
1 September 28, 2015978-4-09-142100-5

4-Panel Yo-kai Watch: Geragera Manga Theater

[edit]
No. Release date ISBN
1 October 28, 2015978-4-09-142105-0
2 November 28, 2016978-4-09-142233-0
3 July 27, 2018978-4-09-142794-6

Komasan: A Time for Fireworks and Miracles

[edit]
No. Release date ISBN
1 December 11, 2015978-4-09-187427-6
2 December 12, 2016978-4-09-189330-7

Anime

[edit]

An anime television series based on the game, produced by OLM, aired from January 8, 2014, to March 30, 2018, in Japan and began airing on Disney XD on October 5, 2015.[42][43] It is more comedic in tone, and has several segments per episode, with most focusing on Nathan "Nate" Adams solving problems caused by Yo-kai. Some episodes have a "Mini-Corner" featuring one of the main Yo-kai. The English theme song is sung by Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, best known as one of the creators of the fellow Disney show Phineas and Ferb.

On April 7, 2015, Level-5 unveiled a promotional video for the series' third season, which premiered in July 2015. The third season features a new protagonist named Hailey Anne Thomas and her Yo-kai companion Usapyon, as well as new models of the Yo-kai Watch called the "Yo-kai Watch Model U"[44] and the "Yo-kai Watch Dream". The season premiered on January 6, 2017, and entered a Busters Arc in July.[45] In February 2018, a sequel series called Yo-kai Watch Shadowside started airing after the original series ended on March 30, 2018, with its first two episodes broadcast as an hour-long special on April 13, 2018.[46] The series lasted for 49 episodes, ending on March 29, 2019.

A revival series known as Yo-kai Watch! ran from April 5, 2019, to December 20, 2019, in Japan.[47] It is a continuation of the original series that introduces new Yo-kai while serving as a sort of prologue to the fourth movie, as Nate receives the Yo-kai Watch Arcane Version K, which resembles the Yo-kai Watch Arcane used in Yo-kai Watch Shadowside. While mostly based on the original series, it features elements from Shadowside, such as the Yo-kai Arks and the Shadowside Tribes.

Yo-kai Watch Jam: Yo-kai Academy Y: Close Encounters of the N Kind ran from December 27, 2019, to April 2, 2021, as a sequel and continuation of the sixth movie.[48][49]

Another revival series, Yo-kai Watch ♪ started airing on April 9, 2021, in which Nate now uses a "enhanced" version of the original Yo-kai Watch which can recognize all types of medals.[50]

In the course of the franchise's history, eight Yo-kai Watch movies have been made. The first, Yo-kai Watch: The Movie, was released in Japan on December 20, 2014,[51] The second film, Yo-kai Watch: Enma Daiō to Itsutsu no Monogatari da Nyan!, was released in Japan on December 19, 2015,[52] and the third film, Yo-kai Watch: Soratobu Kujira to Double no Sekai no Daibōken da Nyan!, a live-action animated film, was released in Japan on December 17, 2016[53] The fourth film, Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu, released in Japanese theatres on December 16, 2017.[54] A fifth movie, Yo-kai Watch: Forever Friends, released in Japanese theatres on December 14, 2018. A sixth movie, Yo-kai Watch Jam the Movie: Yo-Kai Academy Y - Can a Cat be a Hero?, was released in Japanese theatres on December 13, 2019.[55] A seventh movie, Yo-kai Watch♪ the Movie: How Nate and I Met Nyan!♪ M-Me Too~♪♪, was released in Japanese theatres on November 12, 2021. It is based on the Yo-kai Watch ♪ series and features re-edited versions of segments from the anime, as well as some original content.[56] An eighth movie, Yo-kai Watch♪: Jibanyan vs. Komasan - The Big Amazing Battle, Nyan, was released in Japan on January 13, 2023, based on the Yo-kai Watch♪ series and used as its two-part finale.[57]

The series is being released on DVD box sets, along with rental DVDs, in Japan by Kadokawa Media Factory.[58][59] Every episode to date is available for streaming on multiple video on demand services in Japan, such as Hulu and Rakuten Video Showtime.[60][61]

Overseas

[edit]

At the premiere of the Yo-kai Watch film, Level-5's president Akihiro Hino officially announced that the Yo-kai Watch anime would begin broadcast internationally in 2015. He also jokingly requested Etsuko Kozakura and Tomokazu Seki, who voice Jibanyan and Whisper respectively, to "study English".[62][63]

In North America

[edit]

Dentsu Entertainment USA announced in April 2014 that they were seeking broadcast and merchandising partners in North America for the anime.[64] The anime began broadcast as a 26-episode season on Disney XD on October 5, 2015,[65] with the official Yo-kai Watch YouTube channel posting episodes a month later.[66] Since the show had performed well, a second season (no relation to the Japanese second season) with an additional 50 episodes was broadcast on August 1, 2016.[67][68] The third season premiered on July 2, 2018, on Disney XD in the United States, and ended on December 29, 2018. In 2019, Disney XD removed the Yo-kai Watch anime from its lineup due to declining ratings; but eventually returned to the network in a weekend-only timeslot in January 2020, re-taking the place of a previous replacement, Inazuma Eleven: Ares. The first season's first volume was released on DVD by NCircle Entertainment on February 26, 2019,[69] and one version of that set comes with a free comic book.[70] The first season's second volume was released on September 3, 2019.[71]

The first movie was also brought over, as a special screening one day screening, on October 15, 2016. This was only in the US, via Fathom Events. Those who attended got a Hovernyan medal.[72] Outside of the US, the first season and the movie used to be available to stream on Netflix, but as of now, it is no longer available to stream.[73]

The English version of the anime dub used a cast from Sprite Animation Studios for the first two seasons, but they were replaced in the third season with actors from SDI Media due to budget costs and low ratings on Disney XD.[74]

MarVista Entertainment has licensed the series in Latin America, and it also localized the second movie despite never airing in the U.S., so the movie was dubbed based on the Japanese version (which also kept the promotional ending of the third Yo-kai watch movie despite never being dubbed afterwards).

In Europe and Africa

[edit]

Viz Media Europe has licensed the series in Europe, Russia, and Africa. They premiered the anime in the UK and Ireland on Cartoon Network on April 23, 2016.[75][76] In France it showed on three different stations: Boing in April, 2016, Gulli in September, 2016, and Cartoon Network France in March, 2017. Other countries it aired in are Germany and Austria (Nickelodeon), Spain and Africa on Boing, Belgium and the Netherlands on Nickelodeon, and Israel on Noga. Cartoon Network also has it airing on their Portugal, Turkey, Poland and the Nordic, Central and Eastern Europe feeds, starting in Spring 2016.

Viz has also hired Bulldog Licensing and German brand-management company m4e to represent the brand in the UK and German-speaking territories, respectively.[77]

Asia

[edit]

An alternative English dub began airing on Cartoon Network Asia and Toonami Asia in Asian countries from June 27, 2015.[78] The alternative English dub uses the original Japanese names.

Shogakukan Asia also licensed the series in the Philippines. Similarly, for a few years, GMA Network also made a Tagalog dub of the original anime.

For Yo-kai Watch Shadowside, a subbed version aired in the Southeast Asia area, in 2019 via Animax Asia.

In Australia and New Zealand

[edit]

The Fusion Agency acquired the licensing and merchandising rights for the series in Australia and New Zealand.[79] It aired in Australia on 9Go! on December 14, 2015.

Music

[edit]

The music for the games and anime series is composed by Level-5 employee Kenichiro Saigo. The following themes are used in both the video games and anime series. In the original anime, all opening themes are performed by King Cream Soda, with lyrics by m.o.v.e vocalist Motsu. The anime themes are also dubbed into English for its North American broadcast.

Recent seasons of the anime have had opening and ending themes performed by Japanese YouTubers such as Soraru, Rinu, and Strawberry Prince.[80]

Merchandise

[edit]
Japanese DX Yo-kai Watch "Model Zero"

Various toys, such as the eponymous Yo-kai Watch and Yo-kai Medals, have been produced based on the series, receiving high commercial success.[81] Hasbro released a toy line based on the series worldwide in December 2015.[82] In July 2016, Square Enix's MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn held a special crossover event lasting until October which allowed players to gather Medals from existing in-game battles and exchange them for minions modeled after the franchise's titular Yo-kai as well as weapons inspired by them.[83] In January 2018, McDonald's began offering Yo-kai Watch toys in US Happy Meals, alongside the much more popular Shopkins.

Reception

[edit]

The original Yo-kai Watch game received a score of 36/40 from Famitsu,[84] with its sequel Yo-kai Watch 2 also scoring 36/40.[85] Yo-kai Watch 2 won the Grand Prize in the Japan Game Awards. It also won 3 other awards: The Best Sales Award, and two Excellence Awards (for the 2nd game and its third version).[86] In 2014, Yo-kai Watch's manga in CoroCoro Comic won the 38th Kodansha Manga Award in the Best Children's Manga category.[87] In the following year, it also was awarded the Best Children's manga at the 60th Shogakukan Manga Awards.[88]

Series mascot Jibanyan was at the center of artwork for the 2014 holding of the World Hobby Fair,[89] was chosen as the kids goodwill ambassador of the Hawaii Tourism Board in Japan in 2015,[90] and was one of the 8 "Olympics Ambassadors" for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[91]

Seibu Series train: Yo-Kai Watch

When the anime first aired, in 2014, the franchise became popular in Japan. By February, the first game, which originally sold only 53,654 copies, was at over 500,000 shipped[85] and the anime was surpassing Pokémon in the TV rankings; being compared to it[92] and being dubbed the "Pokémon Killer".[87] By the second game's release, the first game had sold 1,195,287 copies and the second game surpassed that at release at 1,316,707 copies. The third version also impressed, at 1,244,171 units.[88]

Even the president of Level-5, Akihiro Hino, was surprised by Yo-kai Watch's popularity. "While I did believe that it would get its break, honestly, to have it come this far, where the children of Japan would get so hopped-up on Yo-kai, to the point where all the goods would sell out, is something I didn't expect."[93][94] They were the second most popular characters in Japan, in a survey by Video Research Ltd.[95] Explanations for its popularity ranged from catchy songs and dances,[96] to being something parents and kids could enjoy together,[87] to "weird adults" not being interested in it.[97] Hino himself said that it was the relatable characters and situations relatable to modern kids that made it popular.[98]

This also translated into toy sales, racking in 55.2 billion yen for Namco Bandai.[99] Yo-kai Watch toys were frequently out of stock; people having to wait in lotteries to get a Yo-kai Watch and search hard for medals.[100] Other merchandise had to wait longer because of the long licensing wait times.[97] This demand made it the second highest product in Nikkei Trendy that year.[101]

It was a top seller in many other areas as well: The Yo-kai Watch Guide was the number one book in 2014,[102] its first theme song, Geragerapo no Uta, was the number 50 song on the Oricon Singles Chart,[103] and the movie had the highest opening of any Japanese film since 2000.[104] Yo-kai Watch even had a special segment on Kohaku Uta Gassen,[105] Japan's most viewed music program.[106]

By 2015, sales had started to fall to numbers ranging from around a quarter to 1/8 of what they were the previous year. Prices were cut[97] and there was less visible excitement among children.[107] By the time the third games were released, in 2016, it was on a downward slope with the game launching with about half of what the second games did, with 632,135 units[108] and the third version of the game launched with half of what the first versions sold with 337,979 units.[109] The toy sales were 10.4 billion yen in 2016 and estimated to be at 6.3 billion yen in 2017.[87] This was largely due to hype building for two games that were coming from Nintendo's Pokémon franchise, the Pokémon Go smartphone app and Pokémon Sun and Moon for the 3DS.[110]

In addition to the wake of Pokémon's renewed popularity, analysts had a few other theories on why Yo-kai Watch was falling. Ken Hōri of The Business Journal and Ollie Barder of Forbes thought it was mainly distribution issues; products that were ordered from the summer vacation were over stocked, because of the six-month waiting period for copyright approvals. Another reason he had was that the toys had incompatible medals with later watches, leading to a loss of interest.[107][97] Barder and Sato of Siliconera also mentioned oversaturation, with it being Sato's main focus.[87]

Unlike in its native Japan where it experienced a short period of great popularity, Yo-kai Watch had an overall underwhelming performance in the United States. Although it got off to a promising start in that region, with the original game selling at least 400,000 units there as of 2016,[111] the sequel, Yo-kai Watch 2, sold less than 200,000 copies in comparison. Meanwhile, Disney XD's English broadcast of the anime series has estimated only 100,000-300,000 viewers per episode, and was removed from the network's schedule in 2017. Despite the franchise's unsatisfactory western response, it maintains a cult following with attempts to revive the franchise such as #SaveYoKaiWatch which trended on Twitter.[112] The franchise is also popular in Europe, with the original game's sales out pacing the Japanese release as of October 2016.[113]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The game's release was preceded by the manga series of the same name, which debuted in 2012.
  2. ^ Japanese: 妖怪ウォッチ, Hepburn: Yōkai Wotchi
  3. ^ Trademarked in Japan as Youkai Watch and Yokai Watch

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "E3 2015: Yo-Kai Watch's Release Window Revealed". IGN. June 16, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  2. ^ "Noriyuki Konishi's Yo-kai Watch Manga Moves Magazines". July 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (April 4, 2014). "The Video Game Anime That's Taking Japan by Storm". Kotaku.com.
  4. ^ "Yo-kai Watch Anime's October 5 U.S. Debut, Dub Cast Revealed". July 10, 2023.
  5. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch listed for October 3rd premiere on Teletoon". September 20, 2015.
  6. ^ "初代『妖怪ウォッチ』スマホ版が配信開始。期間限定でセール実施中". July 10, 2021.
  7. ^ "Yoview Signs Yo-Kai Watch License Agreement" (PDF). yowieworld.com. May 26, 2016. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 9, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  8. ^ Nakamura, Toshi. "How Yokai Watch Was Engineered To Be A Massive Hit". Kotaku. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  9. ^ Nutt, Christian (April 8, 2015). "What the heck is Yo-Kai Watch ? 10 things you need to know". Gamasutra.com.
  10. ^ "One Can Only Hope Yo-Kai Watch Gets Localized in English". Gaming and Tech Network. April 15, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  11. ^ "Level-5 Vision 2011 trailers - Gematsu". Gematsu.com. October 15, 2011.
  12. ^ "LEVEL5 VISION 2011 Recap - LEVEL-5 International America". level5ia.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  13. ^ "Level-5's ghostly Pokemon-esque title Youkai Watch is probably heading to 3DS". Pocketgamer.co.uk. October 15, 2012.
  14. ^ "Youkai Watch follow-up announced - VG247". Vg247.com. September 17, 2013.
  15. ^ "Yōkai Watch 2 Game Debuts on July 10 in 2 Versions". Animemewsnetwork.com. July 10, 2023.
  16. ^ "History & Products: YO-KAI WATCH 2". Level-5 International America. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  17. ^ "History & Products: YO-KAI WATCH 2 Shinuchi". Level-5 International America. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  18. ^ "Yokai Watch 2: Shinuchi announced - Gematsu". Gematsu.com. October 10, 2014.
  19. ^ "First look at Yokai Watch 2: Shinuchi - Gematsu". Gematsu.com. October 14, 2014.
  20. ^ "Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits & Fleshy Souls". Nintendo Life. 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  21. ^ Whitehead, Thomas (February 2, 2017). "Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits & Fleshy Souls Finally Get a European Release Date". Nintendo Life. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  22. ^ Jenni (September 14, 2017). "Yo-kai Watch 2: Oni Evolution Update Released For Bony Spirits And Fleshy Souls". Siliconera. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  23. ^ Barder, Ollie. "'Yo-Kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters' Is Released This September Alongside The SNES Classic Edition". Forbes.com.
  24. ^ "Yo-kai Watch 3 To Release In Japan On July 16 In Sushi And Tempura Versions - Siliconera". Siliconera.com. April 12, 2016.
  25. ^ "Yo-kai Watch 3 Game Announced With USA Setting". Anime News Network. April 7, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  26. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch 3 completes seance, getting third version". Destructoid.com. October 14, 2016.
  27. ^ "Yo-kai Watch 4 delayed to spring 2019 in Japan". Gematsu. October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  28. ^ Sato (December 5, 2019). "Yo-kai Watch 4++ Released Today In Japan, Here's Its Opening Movie". Siliconera. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  29. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (October 12, 2020). "Level-5 has virtually halted operations in North America". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved February 21, 2023. In July of 2019, Level-5 International America confirmed it was closing its design department, laying off two employees, though at the time the company said this was "not a large-scale restructuring."
  30. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch 3, Yo-Kai Watch Busters Games Announced". Anime News Network. March 12, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  31. ^ "New Yo-kai Watch Busters: Getto-gumi 3DS Game Ships in December". Anime News Network. October 12, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  32. ^ "『妖怪ウォッチバスターズ2 秘宝伝説バンバラヤー』の発売日が12月16日(土)に変更" [Release date of Yo-kai Watch Busters 2 changed to Saturday, December 16]. Famitsu. November 22, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  33. ^ "『妖怪ウォッチバスターズ2 ソード/マグナム』2バージョンの限定妖怪が明らかに! 各種特典も公開" [Announcing the yo-kai of Yo-Kai Watch Busters 2 exclusive to Sword and Magnum versions! Various benefits also published]. Famitsu. October 13, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  34. ^ a b Vincent, Brittany (June 28, 2018). "'Yo-Kai Watch Blasters' Revealed for Western Release This Fall". Variety. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  35. ^ Calvert, Darren (September 27, 2018). "Nintendo Download: 27th September (North America)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  36. ^ "Ubisoft's Just Dance Gets Yo-kai Watch Edition". Anime News Network. July 10, 2023.
  37. ^ "Viz Media Adds Yo-kai Watch Manga to Perfect Square Imprint - News - Anime News Network". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  38. ^ "Yōkai Watch Game Gets Shōjo Manga in Ciao". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  39. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch Busters Spinoff Game Gets Manga Adaptation". Anime News Network. May 12, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  40. ^ "A Yo-Kai Watch American Comic Book Series Is Going To Release This April". Siliconera. January 30, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  41. ^ Yo-Kai Watch #1 – IDW Publishing. Idwpublishing.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  42. ^ "Yōkai Watch TV Anime to Premiere in January". Anime News Network. November 16, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  43. ^ "Level 5's Yōkai Watch TV Anime Previewed in Promo Video". Anime News Network. January 3, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  44. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch Anime's 3rd Season Previewed in Video". Anime News Network. April 7, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  45. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch Anime Enters 'Busters' Arc in July". Animenewsnetwork.com. June 23, 2023.
  46. ^ "Yo-kai Watch TV Anime Enters Shadowside Arc in April". Animenewsnetwork.com. June 23, 2023.
  47. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch Anime Gets New Series in April with Returning Protagonist Nate". June 23, 2023.
  48. ^ 本日11/15(金)発売の「月刊コロコロコミック」(小学館)にて、『妖怪ウォッチ4++』「映画 妖怪学園Y 猫はHEROになれるか」「妖怪学園Y ~Nとの遭遇~」の紹介記事が掲載されています!ぜひ、ご覧ください!レベルファイブ (@LEVEL5_times) https://twitter.com/LEVEL5_times/status/1195275281285578758 November 15, 2019
  49. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (November 14, 2019). "Yo-kai Watch Anime Gets New Series in 6th Movie's Academy Setting". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  50. ^ Mateo, Alex (February 26, 2021). "Yo-kai Watch TV Anime Starts New Series With Original Main Leads on April 9". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  51. ^ "Level-5's Yo-kai Watch Games Get Film in December". Anime News Network. June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  52. ^ "2nd Yo-kai Watch Film Opens in Japan on December 19". Anime News Network. June 23, 2023.
  53. ^ "Yo-kai Watch: Sora Tobu Kujira to Sekai no Daibōken da Nyan Anime & Live-Action Film Opens on December 17". Animenewsnetwork.com. June 23, 2023.
  54. ^ "4th Yo-kai Watch Film's Details, New Characters, December Opening Revealed". Anime News Network.
  55. ^ "6th Yo-kai Watch Film Reveals Visual, December 13 Opening". June 23, 2023.
  56. ^ "New Yo-kai Watch TV Anime Gets Compilation Film on November 12". Anime News Network. August 21, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  57. ^ "New Yo-kai Watch TV Anime Gets Theatrical Anime Special on January 13". Anime News Network. August 21, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  58. ^ "妖怪ウォッチ DVDBOX" (in Japanese). Kadokawa Media Factory. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  59. ^ "妖怪ウォッチ レンタルDVD" (in Japanese). Kadokawa Media Factory. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  60. ^ "妖怪ウォッチ". Hulu. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  61. ^ "妖怪ウォッチ 動画" (in Japanese). Rakuten. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  62. ^ "Yo-kai Watch to Air in U.S., Europe, Other Regions Globally". Anime News Network. December 20, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
  63. ^ "「妖怪ウォッチ」世界へ!ジバニャンはジバニャンのまま". シネマトゥデイ. December 20, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  64. ^ "Dentsu Entertainment USA Seeks Broadcast & Merchandising Partners In The Americas". PRNewswire. April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  65. ^ "Yo-kai Watch Anime to Premiere on Disney XD". Animenewsnetwork.com. June 23, 2023.
  66. ^ "The Yo-Kai Watch anime will be available for free on YouTube starting this week". Destructoid.com. November 5, 2015.
  67. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch anime is back in August with double the episodes". Destructoid.com. June 20, 2016.
  68. ^ "Level-5 finally reveals North American Yo-Kai Watch sales". Destructoid.com. June 12, 2016.
  69. ^ "Yo-kai Watch Season 1 Volume 1". NCircle Entertainment Shop. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  70. ^ "Yo-kai Watch S1 V1 W/ Comic Book". NCircle Entertainment Shop. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  71. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch: Season One, Volume Two". Amazon. September 3, 2019.
  72. ^ Osborn, Alex (October 14, 2016). "Yo-Kai Watch: The Movie Event Coming to Theaters for One Day Only". Ign.com.
  73. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch Anime Now Available to Stream on Netflix - Hardcore Gamer". Hardcoregamer.com. April 2, 2016.
  74. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch replaces English voice cast • ToonBarn". Toonbarn.com. December 28, 2017.
  75. ^ "Cartoon Network EMEA Feeds Acquire Yo-kai Watch Broadcasting Rights". RegularCapital.com. February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  76. ^ Parfitt, Ben (January 21, 2016). "Yo-Kai Watch TV Series Confirmed For UK". MCV UK. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  77. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch makes spring debut across Europe".
  78. ^ "Toonami Picks Up Yo-kai Watch in Asia". Anime News Network. June 25, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  79. ^ "Fusion Agency secures Yo-Kai Watch A/NZ rights". Toy & Hobby Retailer. May 12, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  80. ^ "主題歌情報を公開!". 妖怪ウォッチJam「妖怪学園Y ~Nとの遭遇~」 テレビ東京アニメ公式 (in Japanese). December 26, 2019. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  81. ^ Brian Ashcraft (August 8, 2014). "Buying Japan's Most Popular Toy Was Crazy Hard". Kotaku. Gawker Media.
  82. ^ "Hasbro to Launch Level-5's Yo-kai Watch Toy Line in 2016". Anime News Network. June 23, 2023.
  83. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch: Gather One, Gather All!".
  84. ^ "Yo-kai Watch Anime Gets English Exercise Video". Anime News Network. June 23, 2023.
  85. ^ a b "Yo-kai Watch Ships Over 500,000 Copies In Japan - Siliconera". Siliconera. February 19, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  86. ^ "Yo-Kai Watch And Super Smash Bros Win Big At Japan Game Awards 2015 - Siliconera". September 18, 2015.
  87. ^ a b c d e "The Rise And Fall Of The Yo-kai Watch Boom That Took Japan By Storm - Siliconera". May 11, 2017.
  88. ^ a b "This Week In Sales: Yo-kai Watch 2 Invades Japan (Again) - Siliconera". December 17, 2014.
  89. ^ Dong, Bamboo (November 18, 2014). "Yōkai Watch's Jibanyan Ousts Pikachu From the World Hobby Fair Spotlight". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  90. ^ "ジバニャンがハワイ州観光局キッズ親善大使に就任! 『妖怪ウォッチ』×ハワイ州観光局のコラボが実現". Famitsu (in Japanese). March 2, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  91. ^ Anderson, Jenna (September 5, 2017). "The Tokyo 2020 Olympics May Have A Full-On Anime Parade". ComicBook. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  92. ^ "Yo-kai Watch Is Popular Enough In Japan To Be Compared To Pokémon - Siliconera". April 11, 2014.
  93. ^ "Even Level-5's President Was Surprised About Yo-kai Watch's Booming Popularity - Siliconera". Siliconera. May 5, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  94. ^ "Even Level-5's President Was Surprised About Yo-kai Watch's Booming Popularity - Siliconera". May 5, 2014.
  95. ^ "McDonald's Now Fully On Board the Yo-kai Watch Bandwagon". Animenewsnetwork.com. June 23, 2023.
  96. ^ "Yo-kai Watch Displaces Long-Time Favorite Anpanman in Children's Poll". June 23, 2023.
  97. ^ a b c d Barder, Ollie. "'Yo-Kai Watch' Is Losing Steam In Japan". Forbes.com.
  98. ^ Nakamura, Toshi (July 10, 2014). "How Yokai Watch Was Engineered To Be A Massive Hit". Kotaku.com.
  99. ^ "BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.: Consolidated Financial Results". Bandainamco/co/jp. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  100. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (August 8, 2014). "Buying Japan's Most Popular Toy Was Crazy Hard". Kotaku.com.
  101. ^ "Frozen, Yo-kai Watch Are Japan's Top Products". Animenewsnetwork.com. June 23, 2023.
  102. ^ "Yo-kai Watch Guide Is Japan's #1 Book in 2014, While Disney's Frozen Sells 2.1 Million Books". Animenewsnetwork.com. June 23, 2023.
  103. ^ "Oricon Top 100 2014: Singles".
  104. ^ ""Yo-Kai Watch" Film Breaks Opening Weekend Record of "Howl's Moving Castle"".
  105. ^ "Yo-kai Watch will Hit the Stage in New Year's Eve Song Contest". Animenewsnetwork.com. June 23, 2023.
  106. ^ "Nana Mizuki to Sing in New Year's Kōhaku Uta Gassen (Updated)". Animenewsnetwork.com. June 23, 2023.
  107. ^ a b "Is Japan's Fascination with Yo-Kai Watch Watch Over?". Animenewsnetwork.com. June 23, 2023.
  108. ^ "This Week In Sales: Yo-kai Watch 3, Trails in the Sky the 3rd Evolution, And Uppers Make Debuts - Siliconera". July 23, 2016.
  109. ^ "This Week In Sales: Yo-kai Watch 3 Cooks Up Its Sukiyaki Version - Siliconera". December 23, 2016.
  110. ^ Sato (May 11, 2017). "The Rise And Fall Of The Yo-kai Watch Boom That Took Japan By Storm". Silconera. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  111. ^ "Yo-kai Watch Sold Less Than Half a Million Units in North America". Nintendo Life. June 12, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  112. ^ Morrissy, Kim (December 4, 2023). "Yo-kai Watch Screenwriter Reacts to Series Trending in America". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  113. ^ "Financial Results Briefing" (PDF). Nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
[edit]